Simon Food Favourites: My Kitchen Rules

Showing posts with label My Kitchen Rules. Show all posts

15 April 2013

My Kitchen Rules: Food Truck Challenge, CBD Sydney (30 Nov 2012)

Queen's Square, Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000

http://www.facebook.com/MyKitchenRules

My food truck rules

It's been 4 and a half months since I saw three contestants from My Kitchen Rules come to Queen's Square to do a food truck challenge while apparently three others were down at Darling Harbour. The episode is finally being aired tonight, Monday 15 April, so I'll be interested to see what the judges thought of the food. I tried the Vegie Burger with harissa and parsley salad ($8) by Craig and Kerrie in the Veggie Patch Van. These guys were working frantically to keep up with demand from the very long lineup that suddenly formed. Who would have thought veggie burgers would be so popular. I'm wondering if this was because they were the first people to have their food ready or maybe the production team just made everyone line up on their truck to put them under the pump. It was a decent sized burger for the price and filled with lots of fresh ingredients although a bit messy to eat being a two handed job and having no tables around to sit at. I thought it was quite a tasty burger helped along with a decent hit of harissa. As I watched the judges Manu Feildel and Pete Evans try it I noticed they weren't so enthralled, especially Pete, although maybe that was because it had been sitting around for 45 minutes until they actually arrived to try it.

Ashlee and Sophia were in the Tsuru Food Truck making Honey ginger steak with sesame eggplant ($10). Little did I know at the time they would end up being the most hated team in My Kitchen Rules history for their brutal honesty and nasty comments on the show. In saying that they seemed quite nice people at the time working hard in their tiny food truck kitchen. They were quite stressed getting their dish ready but they did a fine job in the end. The meat was quite tender and moist with good flavour and went well with the side vegetables they prepared. This was my favourite of the two dishes I bought although I wished I tried the Panko flathead, roasted potato with creole salsa and radish salad ($10) by Dan and Steph in the Eat Art Truck. By the time I decided I wanted to try it it had sold out. I heard it was very nice from others around and it looked pretty good. It must have been hot in that food truck though because Dan was sweating profusely. It was interesting to see the event being filmed and the film crew trying to get customers to talk about the food and what they thought of the service and timing of the dishes and how long people had to wait for their food including myself. You could tell they wanted something meaty to use in the editing room to make the show more entertaining. Manu was certainly a popular guy with the ladies as they crowded around him for a photo opportunity. Pete remained more aloof and was a lot taller than I thought he was.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Was interesting to see what happens behind the scenes

CONS: The judges are tasting the food when it's cold and has been sitting around for ages

MUST TRY: Waiting to see who will win My Kitchen Rules

VERDICT: Never believe what you see on TV :-)

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Craig and Kerrie representing Victoria in Veggie Patch Van

Vegie Burger with harissa and parsley salad ($8) — pretty decent size. I quite liked the flavours although it was messy and awkward to eat with no seating or tables

Ashlee and Sophia representing NSW in Tsuru Food Truck

Honey ginger steak with sesame eggplant ($10) — meat was pretty tender with good flavour and went well with the side vegetables. Fairly easy to eat with a fork.

Dan and Steph representing QLD in Eat Art Truck

Panko flathead, roasted potato with creole salsa and radish salad ($10) — unfortunately they sold out before I decided to want to try it. I heard it was very nice and it looked pretty good.

Feedback from the customers

Manu is one very popular guy with the ladies

Contestant dishes waiting for judges to arrive to taste test — actually about 45 minutes later

And action

Photos of people with their mouth full is never a good look

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07 September 2012

Launch: Wolf Blass Luxury Collection Release 2012 at Quay Restaurant, Sydney (4 Sept 2012)

Upper Level, Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks, Sydney 2000

http://www.quay.com.au

Wine in wolf's luxury clothing

Thanks to Tessa Kerestes from Liquid Ideas for inviting me to the media launch of the Wolf Blass Luxury Collection Release for 2012 held at Quay Restaurant. Nice timing with the announcement of Quay as ‘Restaurant of the Year’ by Good Food Guide. Uninterrupted views towards the Harbour Bridge and Opera House were spectacular from the function room matched with three-hatted canapés and no shortage of wines selected from the White, Gold, Grey, Black and Platinum Labels. Mr Wolf Blass was quite a jovial character and celebrated his birthday in good spirits with a large chocolate mud cake decorated with an eagle. Guests could play spot the TV celebrity with a small entourage of MasterChef contestants joined by My Kitchen Rules winners, Tracey Spicer and Kerri-Anne Kennerley minus the dancing.

Savoury and dessert canapés were served starting with the Sea scallop pearl, lime, cucumber, fennel — scallop sashimi in a ball I guess. I only tried one but I should have tried more to better appreciate the flavours. The Crostini of smoked ocean trout, crème frâiche, lemon marmalade was a win for me with its simplicity that hit the mark as a bite-sized joy and I could have happily munched my way through a tray of Peking quail, peanuts, sesame, cinnamon, hoisin, pickled cucumber. Dessert canapés were the highlights of the night though. The Salted caramel, prune, walnut tart and Lime curd, meringue tarts had exceptional shortcrust pastry — I suspect a pastry god must have been in the kitchen. Quay has been on my wish list to dine since October 2008 when I tried their Let’s Do Lunch. Since then the famed snow egg and eight-texture chocolate cake has been calling my name — matched with some Wolf Blass dessert wine perhaps?

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Stylish canapés and friendly event staff, Quality ingredients, Enjoyable wines supplied by Wolf Blass

CONS: There was a large break between some of the canapes leaving me quite hungry at one stage, Would have loved the wines and food to be paired up for better appreciation

MUST TRY: Returning to Quay to try their a la carte menu
VERDICT: Great function space with spectacular harbour views but I'm sure it doesn't come cheap

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